Not even your local airport security agents are safe from the Trump Administration’s purge of federal workers.
Nearly 250 probationary employees were fired this week from the Transportation Security Administration, it announced, including some “front-line security officers” that screen U.S. air passengers across the country.
A TSA spokesperson said the firings were “due to performance and conduct issues,” but critics have claimed terminations of that nature are rarely sweeping and are usually done on a case-by-case basis.
The cuts add to a growing list of agencies hit with supposedly performance-related layoffs despite many impacted workers claiming they had recently received positive reviews from supervisors.
Probationary workers, usually in their first year of a federal position but occasionally longer, do not enjoy the same protections as those who have been employed long enough to be in the civil service. This makes them easier to fire and may be why Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency appears to be singling them out.
DOGE has promised to cut out “waste” and “fraud” from the federal government, even if that is at the expense of longstanding programs and tens of thousands of workers. TSA, which is under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security, gave Musk’s mission a nod in its statement regarding this week’s firings.
“The agency is actively working to implement the administration’s priorities in full cooperation with DHS to identify waste and to staff the mission essential positions that best fulfill DHS’ mission,” the statement said.
In addition to passenger-facing agents, USA Today reported that “management, administrative, and professional employees” were also fired from TSA.
The agency screened 904 million air passengers in 2024, the most in its history. This made for unusually long security lines for Americans at times—particularly around the holidays.
This influx in air passengers had many calling for additional TSA hires, not a reduction. The agency appeared to be delivering on bringing in new agents, with it advertising a hiring event in Albany, New York, earlier this week where it offered $22.57 an hour for those willing to take on the often thankless job.
The need for TSA agents was so dire just four years ago TSA sent out a plea to its office workers that asked them to volunteer 45 days managing security lines in hopes it would reduce the number of travelers missing their flights.
Similar issues are still an issue in some parts of the country. The Portland, Oregon, news station Fox 12 reported last week that a “shortage of TSA agents” were causing local passengers’ “headaches.”
